Study shows city's need for affordable housing

Published
7:00 pm EST, Tuesday, January 13, 2009

By CHASE WRIGHT

cwright@thestamfordtimes.com

STAMFORD -- An in-depth study assessing the needs of Stamford residents has identified a lack of affordable housing as the city's greatest need, followed by job training, safe neighborhoods and affordable childcare.

In partnership with the Human Services Planning Council and the City of Stamford, United Way of Western Connecticut conducted the assessment over the course of several months in 2008, recording the perceptions of those who live and work in the city.

The purpose, said Michelle James, president of United Way's Stamford office, was to gain a better understanding of current needs and begin a dialogue to develop a plan to address those needs. United Way plans to use the assessment as a tool to help shape priorities for its 2009-2011 funding cycle.

"We can all talk about the needs of the Stamford community," James told an audience of human service representatives, who gathered in the Purdue Pharma auditorium Monday afternoon to hear the results. "If there are needs that aren't being met, we have to come up with solutions."

This is the second needs assessment conducted by United Way. The last one was done in 1997, said James.

"Obviously, a lot has changed since then," she said.

In fact, some of the biggest economic changes have occurred over the past several months, right after the assessment was completed, she said. During this time, fuel costs were rising at a rapid rate and talks of corporate bailouts hadn't begun. "I can't imagine doing these groups now, and how much their intensity would be ratcheted up," said James.

Mayor Dannel Malloy tightly clasped his hands together while addressing the crowd. "I'm worried," he said bluntly. "I think we're all worried about the welfare of our community and our agencies."

Malloy said the good news is that the study presents and opportunity for the city and local organizations to examine the results and respond with the necessary services needed.

United Way of Connecticut's Community Results Center analyzed 2-1-1 service request calls, conducted community focus groups, met individually with community leaders, and administered a 14-question community perception survey available in both Spanish and English online.

The data compiled identified a number of issues, categorized as basic needs, of concern for Stamford residents. The results show that affordable housing topped the list. Three quarters of survey respondents rated the accessibility of affordable housing in the city as fair or poor.

While Stamford's poverty level remained consistent with statewide poverty levels, the cost of living in Stamford is among the highest in the state. The self-sufficiency standard, which determines the minimum amount of income needed to live in an area, is $57,174 annually for a family of four living in Stamford. The standard includes expenses for housing, child care, food, transportation and healthcare.

The need for job training programs, financial literacy skills and affordable childcare were also revealed as high priorities through the community perception survey. Rising food costs, the maintenance of safe neighborhoods and the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants also made the list.

Agency leaders said now that the results are in, meeting the demand of their clients is the next step.

"The harsh reality is, in the future there is going to be less money to provide services and the need is going to rise," said Gordon Myers, board member with the Fairfield County Community Foundation. "The question is, what do we do about it other than to simple talk about it?"

Myers, whose agency distributes donated funds to a number of area non-profits, said that aside from the rapid growth in immigration to Stamford, he wasn't surprised by the results of the study.

"A lot of these are ongoing issues," he said. "But (the needs assessment study) is useful when trying to figure out how to prioritize the funds we give to different organizations."

Vivien White, board member with Community Partners and the Urban League of Southwestern Connecticut, said her organizations would have to tighten their focus to reflect the needs presented in the study.

She added that future collaboration between different human service agencies would be necessary to ensure results. "Many of these issues are related and overlap across agencies," she said. "Collaboration would make a difference."